Peru s Paolo Guerrero arrives at CAS for hearing in doping case

Lausanne (Switzerland) May 3 (IANS) Peru national football team captain Paolo Guerrero arrived on Thursday at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to attend a hearing to prove that FIFA s suspension was unfounded.

Guerrero is also due to be present in another hearing about an appeal concerning the World Anti-Doping Agency s request to extend his suspension to two years reports Efe.

"The fears we don t confront become our limits " Guerrero posted on his Facebook page before the hearing.

"Throughout my life perseverance showed me to overcome hard obstacles. I m keeping my head high looking forward to going back to where I m happy " he added.

The striker who plays for the Brazilian squad Flamengo was accompanied by his attorney Pedro Fida to the CAS where fans gathered to support Guerrero.

The 34-year-old initially received a one-year ban from FIFA soccer s world governing body last November after testing positive for "cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine " a banned stimulant.

That would have made him ineligible for the World Cup but a month later FIFA s appeal committee reduced the suspension to six months after reviewing "all circumstances" of his case.

While the six-month suspension expired last week Guerrero s World Cup hopes are threatened by the motion filed by WADA demanding a two-year long extension.

The banned substance was detected in a test conducted on October 5 in Buenos Aires after Peru played a World Cup qualifying game against Argentina.

Guerrero contends he unwittingly ingested the substance in a cup of tea made from coca leaves.

The hearings are expected to last for several hours.

--IANS
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